Federal District Court Grants Summary Judgment Against Peter Roor And Ronald Templin For Internet Scam, And Orders Templin And Roor To Disgorge Over $2.5 Million In Fraud Proceeds

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on August 30, 2004, the Honorable Harold Baer Jr., United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York, granted the Commission's motion for summary judgment against Peter Roor and Ronald Templin for their participation in an Internet scam that fraudulently promised astronomical returns on risk-free investments.

In his summary judgment opinion, Judge Baer found that, as early as December 1998 until May 1999, Roor operated an investment scheme called the "Oxford Savings Club," and that "Roor made a series of misrepresentations on his Oxford website and in his promotional materials and promised what can only be described as phantasmagorical returns on purportedly risk-free investments." The Court likewise found Templin liable for operating his own Oxford website, as well as additional internet investment scams offering similarly incredible risk-free returns. Through these fraudulent schemes, Roor and Templin each obtained at least $1 million from unsuspecting investors.

The Court permanently enjoined Roor and Templin from future violations of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. Judge Baer also ordered Roor and Templin to disgorge $1 million and $1,502,265.04, respectively, in funds that they fraudulently obtained from investors. Roor also received a $100,000 civil money penalty. Judge Baer refrained from ordering a civil money penalty against Templin, due to Templin's prior criminal conviction concerning the same fraud. Finally, the Court ordered that over $900,000 in previously-frozen funds associated with Templin and/or Roor be turned over to the Commission in partial satisfaction of the ordered disgorgement.

Roor is a Dutch citizen who resides in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The Court previously held Roor in contempt for his failure to repatriate investors' funds that Roor held overseas, and issued a warrant for Roor's arrest upon entry into the United States.

On May 13, 2003, in a separate criminal proceeding concerning the same fraudulent scheme, Templin pled guilty to two counts of a federal securities fraud indictment. On September 9, 2003, Templin was sentenced in that proceeding to a prison term of 5 months and ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution.